48 I n STYLE JUNE 2017
CTB: Exactly. They were all kind of...embracing me. Nobody
forewarned me about that. It was a little uncomfortable. But, yeah,
I was later told that it had reached Pope John Paul II, and the Vatican
was not pleased. So I made amends by going back today and being
a little bit more respectful.
PP: Pope Francis is incredible, isn’t he?
LB: Tell me about your experience with him.
PP: I went to meet him with my family during Sunday celebrations.
He’s really impressive, the way he looks into you. He creates an
immediate connection with you. It’s like he sees into you and says
the right words at the right moment.
CTB: I absolutely agree. We didn’t exchange many words, because
I literally could only say, “Thank you,” honestly. I was just in awe of him.
He represents so many positive things in such a challenging time. He
is so present and, again, respectful of each person he meets. I was
there for a global forum with Fortune magazine and Time Inc. We
presented some ideas to His Holiness, and he listened and spoke
back to us. To watch person after person be greeted with the same
level of dignity and respect was just an incredible experience.
LB: Now tell me about your first impressions of each other.
PP: Christy is a big part of my fashion path. When I was younger,
I wanted to be a movie director, not a designer. But when I started
to look at photographs, I began to understand the power of fashion
in telling stories. The very first shoot of Christy I saw was by Steven
Meisel. To me, she embodied my idea of grace. She’s contemporary,
but she’s as timeless as a beautiful painting. That kind of beauty
comes from inside, not from physical attributes or trying to be cool.
When I met her she was exactly how I thought of her in my mind.
It was like I had always known her.
CTB: It did feel that way. Of course, I was a fan of Pierpaolo’s
from afar. And I’d been looking at his collection online. I arrived
at the studio up in Harlem, and I was just sitting on the couch
waiting. Pierpaolo came up to me, and he was the most approachable,
warm, and friendly person I’d met in a very long time. It was like
a reunion of some sort.
PP: Do you remember that I had wanted you to come to my first
show, but you were running a marathon?
CTB: Yes, the Chicago Marathon.
PP: I understood that you were running for something that you
believe in. [Turlington Burns runs in support of Every Mother Counts,
the organisation she founded.] We have the same values. After 10
minutes, we were talking more about our children than fashion shows.
LB: Pierpaolo, what does Christy represent as the face of
your first collection?
PP: Everything about this collection was more emotional and
less thought-out. I had to do what was in my heart. And Christy
was a part of that.
LB: Christy, you’ve done a lot of campaigns in your career. Why
did you say yes to this?
CTB: Yes, quite a few [laughs]. Sometimes everything comes
together in a special way: it just felt like there were a lot of signs
from the universe. It’s a good day for me if I feel good and I’m around
people I admire and I respect. And I can’t say that’s the case with all
of the campaigns that I’ve done over the years. Because I don’t spend
so much time around the fashion industry anymore, I like to keep alittle bit involved, and I was just intrigued by Pierpaolo’s designs. You
know, designers don’t always go to their own advertising shoots. So
the whole thing was unique. If it were always like that I would probably
still be doing this job.
PP: Yes, I think that it’s super-important—for me and for fashion—to
give a message that goes beyond clothes.
LB: Feminism was a huge message of the collections this season.
Pierpaolo, you’ve always been surrounded by women. You worked
with a female partner for a long time, and this collection was an
organic feminine statement. Christy, what were your impressions?
CTB: I’m not very stylish. My fashion sense is more simple and
utilitarian. And I never really wear colours. So it was a real thrill to
wear colours; I just bonded so much to them. When you put on colour
like that, it does something to uplift your spirits. I think we could
all agree that we’re living in some interesting times. So the idea
of feeling better about the world—and about yourself—by putting
on something with such colour and joy and love in it, that is really
needed. There will be more of us relying on fashion, I think, in
the days to come. Things are a bit bleak, but there’s a lot of
sunshine in this collection.
PP: It’s important to show not only the feminine side but also the
sensitive side. That goes for people in general. Strength today means
showing your emotions and not hiding them—not being the cliché
of how you think people want to see you. Be exactly as you are. You
know, if you’re happy, show your happiness! Also, I think “respect”
is a word that is not used much today. We need to respect people
for who they are, not for who we want them to be.
LB: What else did you two find out you had in common?
CTB: Now we have the pope in common!
PP: I think we have values in common. Family, friendship,
respect, dignity. Life is based on your values—not money
or power or other things.
CTB: I would agree. I think that we have that connection.
I think we are of the same cloth, really.
LB: No fashion pun intended. Now, Pierpaolo, Christy is
obviously very big into running.
PP: Of course!
LB: Are you going to take a page out of her book and start
running marathons?
PP: I feel like I will. I can get into it.
CTB: Hooray!
LB: He’s got to quit smoking, though.
CTB: Well, yes. That will be the next job.
PP: [Laughs] I will be first in the category of smokers!Strength today means
showing your emotions and
not hiding them. If you’re
happy, show your happiness!”
—PIERPAOLO PICCIOLI48 I n STYLE JUNE 2017